Results 41-60 of 595 for speaker:William Aird
- Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (16 Oct 2025)
William Aird: 32. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps his Department is taking to ensure equitable access to higher education for all students given the ongoing accommodation crisis and rising cost-of-living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55957/25]
- Tillage Sector: Statements (15 Oct 2025)
William Aird: I welcome the opportunity this evening to speak on the tillage sector. I thank all the tillage farmers in County Laois who voted for me in the general election. The tillage sector is a vital and strategic part of Irish agriculture, the rural economy and our environmental ambitions. It is a cornerstone of our agrifood system. Across Ireland, 344,000 ha are devoted to tillage, supporting...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
William Aird: I would agree with Mr. Phelan. He said he is a part-time tillage man and that is a certainty anyway because he could not be full-time at it unless he was Coolmore or the like. I have a number of questions prepared. I am a farmer myself. I will go through them all and then the witnesses can answer. My first question is for the Irish Bioenergy Association. What are the key policy or...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
William Aird: That will take a couple of years.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
William Aird: I am sorry to interrupt, but I have to get answers from Nephin as well.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
William Aird: I am sorry to cut across Mr. Lochhead. Will Mr. Gildea tell me why I should set one of these up? Why did it take him so long to do it? What were the pitfalls?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
William Aird: How much did it cost?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
William Aird: That is way above most people's capacity. I am only making the point-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
William Aird: The Deputy would want to be careful the way he is driving. Did anyone see the film of him with the Zetor tractor?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
William Aird: Mr. Gildea has extra capacity. Is it correct that although it can be used, the ESB will not pay him?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
William Aird: I thought the ESB was looking for all this. If so, why is it not doing what is required? Who is stopping it?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
William Aird: I understand all that, but in Portlaoise, where I am based, we do not have enough electricity. This is stifling the building of houses and everything else. This is the big problem. ESB Networks was out looking for people like Mr. Gildea who could sell to it.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
William Aird: Still, it will not connect and take Mr. Gildea's gas.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
William Aird: I understand his project is viable without the ESB, but it is saying that a contribution can be made to it and everybody else looking for electricity. Why is it not taking it? I understood it would be down the day before yesterday-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
William Aird: Pardon?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
William Aird: It is going to the grid but not being paid for.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
William Aird: I understand.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food: Anaerobic Digestion: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
William Aird: After the grant, how much did he put in out of his own pocket?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Treatment of Rare Diseases: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)
William Aird: I thank the Chairman. I want to ask about the SMA drugs for people who were born before 1994. Could I have an update on that please?